Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

I object to the proposed sites IC1, IC2 & IC3 in Ickleford for the following reasons:-

*You are proposing to build on Green Belt. The Green Belt was created for a reason, namely to avoid overpopulation and to create breathing space between built-up areas. Your plans increase the likelihood of the village of Ickleford being subsumed into the town of Hitchin, and are therefore 'Not sound' in this respect.

* I believe the existing population of Ickleford is between 1800-1900 people. You propose to build 319 new homes within the boundary of the village, thereby increasing the population by between 640 to 960 (or possible more). This represents an increase to the population of the village of around 35% - 52% (or possibly more). This would fundamentally alter the nature of our rural village.

* The sewerage system in Ickleford is already unable to cope with the current demand. You are proposing to increase the usage by between 35% and 52% and therefore the proposal is definitely 'Not sound'. The year before last I had to complain to the water authority that the drain in Chambers Lane outside Ickleford Sports Club was blocked and was flowing down the street. This happened every day for two weeks. Freezing weather made the road hazardous to all road users. There is an underground stream flowing from somewhere near the Bedford Road, down behind/under the properties on Chambers Lane and Lower Green and filtering into the Hiz. You are proposing to build another 120 homes on land above/next to this. Apart from the fact that the existing sewerage infrastructure will be unable to cope, what geological studies have you undertaken to ensure that the building of these new homes (and I believe a new school adjacent to them) would not cause an increase in the flood risk to the properties in Chambers Lane and Lower Green?

* The increase in traffic as a result of not only the proposed IC1, 2 & 3 sites but also the plans to build another 700 homes on the RAF camp in Henlow, will make the Bedford Road, Turnpike Lane and Old Hale Way (and all roads between Ickleford and Hitchin) unusable in the morning and evening rush hours. For this reason the proposals are 'Not sound'. Indeed, there appears to be no coordination, cooperation or joined-up thinking between neighbouring authorities: how can it possibly be sensible to build 300 homes in a village a handful of miles away from another village where it is proposed to build 700 homes?

I object to the proposed sites IC1, IC2 & IC3 in Ickleford for the following reasons:-

*You are proposing to build on Green Belt. The Green Belt was created for a reason, namely to avoid overpopulation and to create breathing space between built-up areas. Your plans increase the likelihood of the village of Ickleford being subsumed into the town of Hitchin, and are therefore 'Not sound' in this respect.

* I believe the existing population of Ickleford is between 1800-1900 people. You propose to build 319 new homes within the boundary of the village, thereby increasing the population by between 640 to 960 (or possible more). This represents an increase to the population of the village of around 35% - 52% (or possibly more). This would fundamentally alter the nature of our rural village.

* The sewerage system in Ickleford is already unable to cope with the current demand. You are proposing to increase the usage by between 35% and 52% and therefore the proposal is definitely 'Not sound'. The year before last I had to complain to the water authority that the drain in Chambers Lane outside Ickleford Sports Club was blocked and was flowing down the street. This happened every day for two weeks. Freezing weather made the road hazardous to all road users. There is an underground stream flowing from somewhere near the Bedford Road, down behind/under the properties on Chambers Lane and Lower Green and filtering into the Hiz. You are proposing to build another 120 homes on land above/next to this. Apart from the fact that the existing sewerage infrastructure will be unable to cope, what geological studies have you undertaken to ensure that the building of these new homes (and I believe a new school adjacent to them) would not cause an increase in the flood risk to the properties in Chambers Lane and Lower Green?

* The increase in traffic as a result of not only the proposed IC1, 2 & 3 sites but also the plans to build another 700 homes on the RAF camp in Henlow, will make the Bedford Road, Turnpike Lane and Old Hale Way (and all roads between Ickleford and Hitchin) unusable in the morning and evening rush hours. For this reason the proposals are 'Not sound'. Indeed, there appears to be no coordination, cooperation or joined-up thinking between neighbouring authorities: how can it possibly be sensible to build 300 homes in a village a handful of miles away from another village where it is proposed to build 700 homes?

I object to the proposed sites IC1, IC2 & IC3 in Ickleford for the following reasons:-

*You are proposing to build on Green Belt. The Green Belt was created for a reason, namely to avoid overpopulation and to create breathing space between built-up areas. Your plans increase the likelihood of the village of Ickleford being subsumed into the town of Hitchin, and are therefore 'Not sound' in this respect.

* I believe the existing population of Ickleford is between 1800-1900 people. You propose to build 319 new homes within the boundary of the village, thereby increasing the population by between 640 to 960 (or possible more). This represents an increase to the population of the village of around 35% - 52% (or possibly more). This would fundamentally alter the nature of our rural village.

* The sewerage system in Ickleford is already unable to cope with the current demand. You are proposing to increase the usage by between 35% and 52% and therefore the proposal is definitely 'Not sound'. The year before last I had to complain to the water authority that the drain in Chambers Lane outside Ickleford Sports Club was blocked and was flowing down the street. This happened every day for two weeks. Freezing weather made the road hazardous to all road users. There is an underground stream flowing from somewhere near the Bedford Road, down behind/under the properties on Chambers Lane and Lower Green and filtering into the Hiz. You are proposing to build another 120 homes on land above/next to this. Apart from the fact that the existing sewerage infrastructure will be unable to cope, what geological studies have you undertaken to ensure that the building of these new homes (and I believe a new school adjacent to them) would not cause an increase in the flood risk to the properties in Chambers Lane and Lower Green?

* The increase in traffic as a result of not only the proposed IC1, 2 & 3 sites but also the plans to build another 700 homes on the RAF camp in Henlow, will make the Bedford Road, Turnpike Lane and Old Hale Way (and all roads between Ickleford and Hitchin) unusable in the morning and evening rush hours. For this reason the proposals are 'Not sound'. Indeed, there appears to be no coordination, cooperation or joined-up thinking between neighbouring authorities: how can it possibly be sensible to build 300 homes in a village a handful of miles away from another village where it is proposed to build 700 homes?